Highlighting the 2025 Board Research Initiative Funded Projects

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During the Spring 2025 Board Research Initiative Research Competition, USPOULTRY and its Foundation approved and funded three new and innovative research projects. The research funding was approved by the boards of directors of both organizations, based on recommendations from the Foundation Research Advisory Committee.

Research funded out of the Board Research Initiatives included studies for highly pathogenic avian influenza, combating avian metapneumovirus and the advancement of new vaccine platforms. The following paragraphs serve as a brief synopsis of these three projects.

“Agent-based Model of Transmission of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza Between Wild Birds and Commercial Poultry.” Purdue University. 

The poultry industry is increasingly challenged by Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) transmission. Transmission arises from the complex interactions between domestic poultry and wild bird populations, which function as reservoirs for the virus. Thus, this research seeks to investigate HPAI transmission dynamics within poultry facilities, emphasizing the influence of environmental factors, wildlife density, and biosecurity measures. The primary goal is to develop an agent-based model (ABM) to simulate HPAI transmission in a hypothetical laying hen facility, enabling the evaluation of various scenarios and mitigation strategies. Computational modeling and empirical data collection will be employed to meet these objectives. Using the NetLogo programming platform and adhering to the Overview, Design concepts, and Details protocol, the ABM will be developed with clear documentation and reproducibility. Parameters such as wildlife density, proximity to attractive habitats, and biosecurity practices will be incorporated to simulate outbreak scenarios. Further data at commercial laying hen facilities from aerial surveillance and sound recordings will assess wildlife activity patterns and their correlation with known transmission risks, such as proximity to migratory flyways. This integrated approach will provide a comprehensive analysis of the factors driving HPAI spread and evaluate the effectiveness of control measures.

“One-Shot-Triple Immunity: Novel Universal Live Recombinant NDV Vaccine Expressing the Neutralizing Epitopes of G and F Proteins of Newly Emerged aMPV/ A and B in the US.” South Dakota State University. 

Avian metapneumovirus (aMPV) subgroups A and B recently emerged in the US poultry industry. Both subgroups are spreading rapidly in breeders and meat-type turkey and chicken farms, causing huge economic losses. Vaccination mainly with live attenuated vaccines (LAVs) appears to be the best way to control aMPV. However, multiple concerns have been raised regarding LAVs, such as virulence reversion and safety concerns. This project proposes the development of an innovative vaccine strategy that combines the effective properties of live vaccines with the mitigation of their side effects. Live recombinant vaccine signifies the most promising alternative, providing a safe and stable solution for these emerging viruses. Researchers aim to develop the first broad-spectrum live recombinant vaccine against Newcastle disease virus (NDV) and subgroups A and B by expressing immunogenic epitopes of aMPV A and B in a recombinant NDV vector. The proposed novel strategy to develop a potent multi-epitope vaccine is expected to revolutionize the vaccine industry by providing broad protective vaccines against emerging variants.

“Improving Efficiency in the Delivery of HVT Vector Vaccines.” North Carolina State University. 

Recombinant herpesvirus of turkey (rHVT) vaccines are the most commonly used poultry vaccines worldwide. They are cell-associated, which helps bypass maternal antibodies, so they can be administered in-ovo and at day of age with great levels of success. However, the cell-associated nature of rHVT vaccines leads to a major drawback: it is impossible to administer a uniform vaccine dose. Researchers have demonstrated that it is possible to enhance HVT growth in cell culture by using a novel medium (Diploid Growth Serum Reduced Medium, DGSR). This medium allows CEF to grow with a limited amount of calf serum or even without serum. The goals of this project are to (1) evaluate infectivity rate, vaccine yield, and uniformity of doses in rHVT-infected CEF, and cultures grown in conventional media and in DGSR media, (2) characterize in which cells CEF are differentiating when grown in DGSR media and to evaluate safety of using these cells in chicken embryos or in one-day-old chickens, and (3) evaluate replication and efficacy of a commercial rHVT-IBD vaccine grown in CEF when using DGSR media.

<Article Tags>

• HPAI
• aMPV
• rHVT
• Research
• Poultry